Construction of courses or tracks for cycling.



No.-70l,348. Patented June 3, I902.

C. H. JONES. CONSTRUCTION OF COURSES 0R TRACKS FUR CYCLING.

(Application filed Aug. 26, 1901.)

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CHARLES HENRY JONES, OF WOOD GREEN, ENGLAND.

CONSTRUCTION CF COURSES OR TRACKS FOR CYCLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 701,348, dated June 3, 1902.

Application filed August 26, 1901. Serial No. 73,301. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that 1, CHARLES HENRY Jones, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 105 Truro road, Wood Green, county of Middlesex, England, have invented a new and useful Improved Construction of Courses or Tracks for Cycling, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of a course or track for use in cycle races or performances on music-hall and other stages and places of public amusement and in other places of limited area. It can readily be erected and removed as required, and being circular and with floor or sides which can be adjusted to any convenient angle and being partly open or with interstices between the Whole or a portion of the floor of the track, so as to enable the spectators, it below the top of the track, to see through it, it is specially adapted for the above purposes.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one form in which I have contemplated embodying my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved track when erected. Fig. 2 represents detail views of the devices for coupling meeting portions of the horizontal cross-pieces. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the devices to be secured to the floor for the purpose of engaging the lower ends of the battens or timbers forming the track proper. Fig. 4 is an enlarged View of a screw-eye to be secured to the floor and the upper cross-piece to receive the flexible securing device. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the devices adapted to be secured to the floor to receive the lower ends of the braces.

For the purpose of carrying out myinvention I take a convenient number of timber battens A and nail or screw or otherwise affix them in radial lines and at suitable intervals to enable spectators outside the track to see the performance inside the track, to two or more cross-pieces B B, of timber of convenient length, breadth, and thickness, (which cross-pieces are shaped as segments of a cirele,) which then form a sort of grid. These grids are provided at the ends of each crosspiece with a hook on one side and an eye on the other or any other suitable contrivance for fastening them together. When erecting my course or track I take a suiificient number of such grids, according to the size of the course or track required, and fasten them together in the form of a circle. In Fig. 2 I have shown one form of devices for connecting the adjacent ends of the upper and lower cross-pieces.

D represents a staple which is adapted to be attached to one of the meeting ends, and C represents a hasp or eye which is attached to the other of the meeting ends and which is placed over the staple. A suitable pin or wedge is then passed through the staple to prevent the hasp or eye from slipping off. I prefer to use the device F for this purpose, the same consisting of a piece of metal bent into U shape and adapted to bepassed through the staple to secure the hasp in position, said device having outwardly-turned ends 6 e to keep it from slipping through the staple when in operative position.

To prevent the lower side of the floor of the track from slipping fromposition, I rest the lower outside edge of the said battens or of some of them against chock-blocks F, of timber, Fig. 8, affixed to the stage or ground by means of a pin, bolt, or screw f; but any other contrivance to prevent slipping may be used. I then tie or otherwise secure a rope or chain or other suitable material around the outside of the top of the upper outside edge of the said battens, so as to keep them in place, orsometimes I lace the top battens to the stage or' ground by means of a rope B through screw-eyes G, Fig. 4, fixed in such battens and stage or ground, as shown in Fig. 1; but it is obvious that any other method of keeping them in place may be adopted. The top cross-pieces B of the said grid are supported at intervals by legs H, secured to the top cross-pieces, and which legs can be adjusted by;means of chock-blocks I, of Wood, Fig. 5, or any other suitable contrivance secured to the floor or ground by pins, screws, or bolts '6, or I sometimes use iron braces with a corkscrew twist at one end that twists into a screw-eye screwed into the top batten and with the other end flattened with a hole through it andthrough which I screw it to the floor, and by either of these methods Iam thus enabled to have the course or track at any angle required. I prefer to have a portion only of the said grids partly open or with interstices between the battens and theremainder of the grids, with the battens placed close together; but it is obvious that that is not necessary. 7

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. In abicycletrack,the combination with a series of inclined battens each having one end resting on the fioor or ground, of curved horizontally-disposed crosspieces secured to said battens, and forming therewith an endless track, braces extending outwardly from the upper portions of said battens, and having their lower ends engaging the fioor or ground, and means for preventing the lower ends of said battens from slipping outwardly, substantially as described.

2. In a bicycle-track, the combination with a series of inclined battens, each having one end resting on the floor or ground, of curved horizontally disposed cross pieces secured thereto and forming therewith an endless track, certain of said battens being separated to permit of spectators seeing between them, braces secured to the upper of said cross-pieces and engaging the ground or floor,

devices engaging the lower ends of said battens,to prevent them from moving outwardly, and flexible connections secured to the said upper cross-bar and to the fioor for exerting a downward pressure upon said cross-bar and steadying the track, substantially as described.

3. In a bicycle-track, the combination with a series of inclined battens, each having one end resting on the ground or floor, of curved horizontally-disposed cross-pieces secured to said battens, and forming therewith an endless track, braces connected with the upper of said cross-bars, chock-blocks, to receive the lower ends of said braces chock-blocks engaging the lower ends of said battens to prevent them from slipping, retaining devices for securing said blocks to the floor or ground, a series of eyes secured to one of said cross-bars and to the floor or ground, and a flexible connection passing through said eyes, a portion of said battens being separated to allow spectators to see'between them, substantially as described.

4:. A bicycle-track comprising among its members, a series of substantially parallel battens disposed at an angle with the floor or support for the track arranged in substantially circular form, and having their lower ends engaging the floor, or support, certain of said battens being held at short distances from each other, to permit the riders to be seen through the spaces between them, substantially as described.

CHARLES HENRY JONES.

Witnesses:

O. G. REDFERN, F. MARCUS BRIDGES. 

